Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels. New York, NY: Scholastic, 1988. ISBN:0-590-40942-5
Summary
Richie Perry didn't know what he wanted to do when he graduated so he joined the army and went to Vietnam. At first he doesn't know anyone, but he talks to people along the way. Jenkins, a guy he traveled with steps on a mine the first day they leave camp and dies. Perry is disturbed that no one else is disturbed, but the longer he stays "in country" the more he gets it. Perry meets Peewee another black guy and they stick together. Some days their group goes into villages on goodwill missions passing out food and malaria pills. Other days, they go in to flush the VietCong out, shooting their way through town. Still other times, they're helicopter to a field, they walk out a few miles without seeing anything, and go home. No matter what happens, the commander reports it as a success. Perry would like to write a letter to his mother or his little brother, but how can he tell them about what he sees?
Critical Evaluation
Grisly realistic, Fallen Angels tells a story of a 17 year old in language that any teen can understand. Some might say that the book is too violent or object to the language (there is racial tension among the group and slurs are used frequently) however, Myers sticks closely to the truth. Furthermore, since young men and women are mature enough to actually go to war, they are certainly mature enough to read about it. A more accessible read than O'Brien's The Things They Carried.
Reader's Annotation
Perry had done well in basic training, so he was insulted when the guys already in Vietnam didn't want to work with him. They called him a liability and they were right. Perry could see that Vietnam was far worse than he had imagined.
Genre and Subject
Vietnam war
Bibliotherapuetic Usefulness
Could be useful for those preparing to enter the armed forces, or for the friends and family of those serving, especially those serving in a war zone.
Why I chose it
Fallen Angels gives and African American perspective on the Vietnam war.
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